Combidome carton bottle makes a splash

SIG Combibloc Obeikan and the Zaki Group have launched a first in UHT liquid dairy – the one-litre combidome carton pack – in the Middle East and Africa. Food Review looks at this innovative technology and how it can impact the local market.

The new premium family-size pack under the Qirat Iraq brand will cater for three product categories: full fat, low fat and fat free white milk. This announcement represents a continuation of the group’s strategy after the recent launch of its first single-serve dairy product in the region.

Bahaa Zeidan, general manager of the Zaki Group, says, “With our new packs, we are presenting UHT milk products that are unique and premium – shifting our strategy to cater to growing demand in family-sized products.”

Combidome is an innovative pack that looks and handles like a bottle while offering the benefits of a carton pack with regards to environmental and logistical advantages. The aseptic process ensures that consumers can rely on high-quality, tasty beverages with natural nutrients, vitamins, flavours and colours. The carton structure blocks light and air. This ensures that products can be stored for a long time without refrigeration or preservatives.

“The market launch of milk beverages in combidome marks a milestone in this market with locally produced products. We are confident that by choosing combidome, we are setting ourselves up for clear differentiation in the dairy segment with high-quality products specially localised for our customers,” Zeidan points out.

Zaki Group’s partnership with SIG Combibloc Obeikan is growing steadily. The group benefits from the full flexibility of existing lines with a vast and varied portfolio that includes 13 single-serve sizes (from 80ml to 350ml), and three family-size packs (500ml, 750ml and 1000ml).

Abdelghany Eladib, chief operating officer, SIG Combibloc Obeikan, explains, “Zaki Group is a partner that continues to grow and expand while launching new products that should be accompanied by the best innovative solutions. We have witnessed an increase in demand for family-size shelf-stable milk since the COVID-19 pandemic started together with an increased global demand 1 . As families are staying safe at home, purchases have been focused on shelve-stocking of milk products.”

He adds, “We firmly believe combidome is an excellent fit for the company’s ideas. For the UHT filling of products, the packs must meet the highest requirements for sterile use. Germs can reproduce much more readily in a low-acid environment such as milk than they can in a product like juice. The filling machines for combidome and the corresponding carton packs take this into account, so manufacturers can flexibly fill all kinds of beverages.”

Combined expertise moves future packaging

Established in 2001, the joint venture is a result of the shared vision of SIG Combibloc (Switzerland) and the Obeikan Investment Group (Saudi Arabia) to offer total aseptic packaging system solutions and tailored customer support to the food and beverage industry across the Middle East and Africa.

The combined expertise of the two companies has enabled SIG Combibloc Obeikan to offer the very best in technology to the region and further strengthened its position as a total aseptic packaging solutions provider. With nine offices located strategically across MEA and a state-of-the-art production facility in Riyadh, the companies retain its fundamental purpose: to offer world-class products and services while understanding first-hand the local needs and requirements of customers and the market they operate in. SIG Combibloc Obeikan’s portfolio of clients contains some of the biggest brands within the long life milk and juice market segments.

Combidome, the carton bottle from SIG, combines the best features of a carton pack with the best features of a bottle, making it different from anything seen before in food packaging. In 2014, the exceptional design of combidome was recognised with one of the world’s most important design accolades: the iF Design Award. The carton pack’s remarkable design also creates numerous logistical advantages with which substantial savings can be achieved in total system costs. •

There has been a marked increase in shelf-stable milk demand since the COVID-19 outbreak